FANTASTIC PERSONAL PERFORMANCES from Johnny McGroddy and Ethan Cullen helped Downings to victory over Milford in the Northern Regional Board Under-14B final.
Downings 5-12 Milford 3-10
McGroddy scored 3-5 and Cullen smashed home two vital goals in the first half to set the team managed by Andy and Seamie Connor on their way to victory against their neighbours on their home patch at Moyle View.
Milford contributed hugely to the contest as well, and deserve credit for that. At one stage with just five minutes left they had clawed their way back to just two points down. But McGroddy’s class told in the end.
[adrotate group=”38″]In an open and entertaining game, Downings led 0-3 to 0-2 on 10 minutes before the first goal of the evening arrived as Milford’s Shay McBride passed into the net at the second attempt having been set up by Eoin O’Donnell.
Milford then pushed their lead out to 1-5 to 0-4 before Cullen found his stride. The Downings midfielder drove through the Milford defende on 23 minutes and rasped a shot past John Matthews to take his team back to just a point down.
Then, in the last minute of the half, Cullen was at it again as he smashed a second Downings goal to put his side in front at the break, 2-6 to 1-7.
[adrotate group=”68″]Downings got a third goal on 39 minutes when McGroddy waltzed through and lifted the ball over Matthews to establish a 3-8 to 1-8 advantage and when points were then added by Shane Coll, Kyle McFadden and McGroddy it was a nine-point game.
With only 12 minutes left, Milford had little option but to throw the kitchen sink and when they did Downings got some suds in their eyes for a while.
Firstly, Dylan Dorrian tucked home a centre from Matthew McLaughlin for a Milford goal and then, just four minutes later on 53, the same two combined for another Milford goal – this time it was McLaughlin who finished and Dorrian who assisted.
[adrotate group=”63″]A point from Shane Black then meant Milford were just two down with five to play. But Downings didn’t panic and following another fine run from Cullen, McGroddy struck home a fourth goal when he rounded Matthews to make it 4-11 to 3-9.
And just to put the cheery on top of the icing on the cake, McGroddy completed his hat-trick in nonchalant fashion when he got in one-on-one with Matthews and lobbed the Milford goalkeeper in some style.
Downings: Fiachra McClafferty; Micheal Pasoma, Dean McBride (0-1), Cahair Sweeney; Shane Coll (0-1), Dale McBride, Shane Carr; Ethan Cullen (2-0), Tiernan McBride; Dom Potter-Doherty, Johnny McGroddy (3-5, 2f, 1 ’45’), Paddy McElwee; Mark McBride, Kyle McFadden (0-5, 1f), Liam McBride. Subs: Aaron Barry for Sweeney (34), Odhran McConigley for M McBride (58).
Milford: John Matthews; Eoin McElhinney, Eamonn O’Donnell, Odhran McGee; Eoin O’Donnell, Bruce McAuley, Darragh McFadden; Rory Pyper (0-1), James O’Donnell (0-1); Jay Curran, Shane Black (0-5, 4f), Jake Doherty; Dylan Dorrian (1-1), Shay McBride (1-0), Barry Donnelly (0-2). Subs: Eoin Hiemstra and Matthew McLaughlin (1-0) for Doherty and McBride (43), Calum Orsi and Kyle McGarrity for Curran and McElhinney (52).
Referee: Gerard McHugh (St Mary’s, Convoy).
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